Dish drain



A1182 l 1967 c. PATTERSON 3,333,283

DISH DRAIN Filed Aug. 3, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTR. @im

Aug. l, 1967 c. PATTERSON DISH DRAIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1964 Cra/7J fof? Waffe/Jon INVENTOR d/QMZL%` United States Patent O 3,333,283 DISH DRAIN Cranston Patterson, 907 Heights Blvd., Houston, Tex. 77008 Filed Aug. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 388,978 6 Claims. (Cl. 4-189) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE A dish drain in the form of a hollow cup having an open top and a bottom closure which rests on the bottom of a sink in contact with that part of the sink bottom surrounding the drainage opening therein. The bottom closure of the cup is provided with depending structure which contacts the interior of the sink drain to steady the dish drain, and such depending structure is yieldable or adjustable for dish drains of different dimensions. The bottom closure has both axial and lateral openings therethrough, the axial openings permitting drain water to pass vertically from the interior of the cup to the sink drain while the lateral openings permit the drainage of water horizontally from the sink space surrounding the cup into the sink drain.

This structure is used to support cutlery and other utensiles within the cup while stacks of vertically disposed plates are supported on edge between the outside of the cup and the vertical walls of the sink.

This invention relates to a dish drain adapted to be adjustably fitted into a sink drain whereby plates and dishes may bear downwardly against the dish drain and rest upwardly against the top or wall of the sink basin, while the dish drain supports t-he knives, forks and spoons to upstand therewithin and to drain water out through the bottom of the dish drain as the water from the plates and dishes drains from the sink basin into the sink drain below the dish drain.

Generally dish drains are made of wire frame material constructed to hold dishes in draining position generally on the drain board or surface at the level of the top of the sink basin. This requires that after the dishes have had time to drain the drain board or top sink surface has to be dried off with a rag, and also the space occupied by the wire drain frames is not available for other use during the period the dishes are drying. As such conventional dish drains are generally made in three parts, the drain board space occupied is excessive in proportion to the duty performed thereby. An additional disadvantage is that conventional dish drains usually require that pads be placed underneath them to retard water from running over the otherwise dry areas of the drain board.

Because of the above set forth disadvantages of conventional dish drains of the wire frame and other types, and because of additional disadvantages obvious and inherent in the construction and usage thereof, the need has` long existed for a dish drain that can be used, especially in double basin sinks, but also elsewhere, in manner to occupy a minimum space while adapting a sink basin to serve in part in supporting the drying dishes; in manner to permit scalding water to be poured over the dishes to be dried after they are positioned and supported in final position to be dried; in manner that the drained water runs olf immediately from the sink basin through the sink drain conventionally located centrally in the bottom thereof; and in manner that a minimum operative area is taken -up in the course of drying dishes employing the sink drain comprising this invention.

Additionally a need has `lon-g existed for such a dish i drain which can be used (after it has served to hold and position the various dish and cutlery items to be dried), to serve as a holder for the knives, forks and spoons and other cutlery in storage; also there has long been the need for such a dish drain which is of light weight and can occupy a minimum shipping space.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a dish drain adapted for use, but not limited to use in a double basin during use, so that the sink basin sides or top serve to cooperate with the centrally disposed dish drain to support the plates and dishes while draining, while the knives, forks, spoons and other cutlery are supported to drain from within the dish drain, the dish drain thereafter being adapted to serve as a holder for the knives, forks, spoons and other cutlery during storage.

Additionally, it is another object of this invention to provide a dish drain of the class described which is of light construction, occupies a minimum space in use or in shipment, which cooperates with a sink basin in use, and which is simple in operation, has no moving parts in situ and which is inexpensive in cost, while adapted to serve additional `functions of storing cutlery.

It is also an important and further object of this invention to provide a dish drain of this class which is adjustable to nt sink drains of various diameters.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the specification herein is considered in lconnection with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of a first embodiment of the invention as disposed adjustably in a sink drain indicated in dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the dish drain shown in sectional elevation in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation of a second embodiment of the invention, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 4, with the dish drain shownA as disposed adjustably in a sink drain indicated in dotted lines; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the dish drain shown in sectional elevation in FIG. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like elements are assigned like reference numerals in the various views, a dish drain 10 is shown in FIG. 1 with b-ody or cup 11 in the form of a hollow tapered cylinder or frusto-conical cup, with larger dimension at the open top 12 and with smaller dimension at the closed bottom or base 13, the upper, inner surface 14 of the base 13 being tapered, and a drain bore or outlet hole 15 being provided to accommodate the escape of water drained from the knives, forks, spoons and other cutlery which upstand from the upper surface 14 and rest against the inner surface of the cup rim 16 thereabove near the top of the cup 11. The under surface 23 of the base or bottom closure 13 is flat and seats upon the bottom 17 of the sink basin 18, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 1.

In order for the water drained from plates and dishes to escape down the sink drain 19, also shown in dotted lines, horizontally extending slots 20 are provided in the underside of the base 13, three of such slots` 20 being shown in the bottom View of FIG. 2, equally angularly spaced about, and equally radially extending from, the vertical axis of the cup 11.

As shown the slots 20' extend inwardly a substantial distance over the sink drain opening space 21, whereby lending to the flexibility of the base 13 in adjustment, as will be hereinbelow described, but for drain purposes such slots need only extend inwardly a short distance over the drain.

Three legs or 'bosses 22 are provided by the bottom closure 13 to extend downwardly from the under surface 23 of the base or bottom closure 13, and such are equally, angularly spaced apart, and equally spaced, in staggered relation, between the slots 20. At least one of the bosses, as the boss 22a, has an adjustment screw 24 threadable horizontally therethrough with the head of the screw inwardly. The periphery around the bosses 22, 22a is at a radius from the center or axis 25 equal to substantially the radius of the smallest sink drain within the contemplation of usage of the dish drain 10. Thus, to install the dish drain in a sink drain 19 of larger diameter than the periphery around the bosses, it is necessary r'irst to thread the adjustment screw 24 outwardly sufficiently, so that with the dish drain 10 installed, the other two bosses 22 and the outer end of adjustment screw 24 are in snugly fitting contact against the inner surface of the sink drain 18.

It should be noted that, as a feature of construction, the bosses 22 are not of vertical length to extend downwardly far enough to bear upon the inwardly tapered or countersunk surface 26 of the sink drain 19 whereby the cup 11 has its base under surface 23 seated on the bottom 17 of the sink basin 18. Also, as a feature of construction, for purposes of added security, two vertically spaced apart adjustment screws 24 are shown in FIG. 1 although generally one screw could serve for adjustment purposes.

In the Vmodification of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a dish drain 10 is shown having the same upper construction as the dish drain 10, whereby corresponding parts are assigned the same reference numeral with the prime sign added. However, the base closure 27 is offset inwardly to provide a ledge 28 and to provide therebelow an adjustment wall or irregular cylinder 29 of arculate cross-section in vertical contour.

The base or lowerrnost element 13 of the base closure 27, is best shown in FIG. 3, and extends horizontally across the sink drain 19 at the bottom of the adjustment cylinder 29. Slots of elevational contour as shown on the left side of FIG. 3, are provided at equally angularly and radially spaced apart distances about the vertical center line of the dish drain l0 so that water drained from the dishware stacked against the side of the cup initially passes downwardly through the upper, horizontal parts 3i) of the slots 26 while water drained from the cutlery passes through the lower, horizontal parts 31 of the slots 29'.

As a feature of construction the material of which the dish drains 10, 10' are constructed, is indicated as being of a composition such as rubber, plastic, and the like. However, other materials may be used as well, and rigid materials may be used in the form of the invention shown in FIGS. l and 2, although even in this form, materials of some flexibility would be preferred. As to the form of invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, some degree of flexibility is necessary in order for the irregular cylinder 27 to adjustly position the cup within a 'range of sink drain diameters. However, as to materials, although plastics and hard rubber may serve, the invention can employ a wide range of other materials.

The invention is of simple construction yet uniquely provides a long needed solution to obvious problems long needing solution, especially since such a large percentage of sinks now have two basins or compartments. Or, 1n cases of single basin sinks, the invention is still of great advantage, in that the dishware and cutlery may be stacked as washed, and then, with the dish drain 10 or 10' installed, the dishware may be stacked around the cup, and the cutlery stacked within the cup, immediately freeing the drain board space occupied by the stacked dishware and cutlery, for other use, or freeing the space occupied by a container, as a dishpan, for other use, in case such has been used for stacking the washed articles.

In either case, with the dishware stacked about the cup, the relationship of cup plan area to sink basin plan area is such at the various elevations thereof, that the interior of the cup provides ample support base area to support the amount of cutlery usually employed with a respective amount of dishware, while the cup is of such plan and peripheral dimensions at various elevations, so that a succession of dishes and/or plates can be stacked therearound to rest upwardly against the walls or top inner rim of the sink basin to form the basis for stacks of dishware, one article upon another, the stacks being ample in number and permitting stacking to such a height, as to accommodate an amount of dishware usually employed with a respective amount of cutlery.

The invention is not limited to the identical structures shown in the drawings and described herein above, nor to the exact method of use, but other usages and a wide range of structures are included, as long as such may fall within the broad spirit of the invention, and within the broad scope of interpretation claimed for and inei'ited by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dish drain for a sink comprising a hollow frustoconical cup, with larger diameter operi and upwardly, a smaller diameter base closure providing an inner, upper surface to support cutlery to stand up within said cup, and also providing drain opening means for the escape of drain water fom within said cup, means associated with said closure whereby said cup may be adjustably positioned in sink drains of various opening dimensions, said smaller diameter base closure bearing such dimensional relationship to the bottom of said sink that conventional dishware may extend angularly from lowermost cup contact to sink contact thereabove.

2. A dish drain as claimed in claim 1 in which said base closure includes bosses therebelow equally angularly and radially spaced about the vertical center line of said cup and horizontally adjustable screw means extending through at least one of said bosses to contact said sink drain whereby said cup may be adjustably positioned in sink drains of various opening dimensions.

3. A dish drain as claimed in claim 1 in which said base closure includes upwardly a ledge within said cup to support said cutlery, and in which said base closure also provides an adjustment section to extend down into said sink drain, said adjustment section being yieldably contractible to fit within various dia-meters of sink drains, and being vertically slotted upwardly from said base to provide drain water outlet means.

4. A dish drain as claimed in claim 2 in which said base has horizontal slots in its under surface so that when seated, dish and plate drain water may pass through said slots into said sink drain.

5. A dish drain as claimed in claim 1 in which said cup upstands above the lowermost cutlery supporting surface at least substantially half the height of the tallest cutlery to be supported, and whereby a succession of dishware pieces may be stacked, one upon the other, to be supported one upon the other with lowermost contact against said cup, against the outer surface of the wall of said cup.

6. A dish drain for a kitchen sink comprising an upstanding, axially vertically oriented hollow cup with an open end disposed upwardly and a closed lower end or base the outer portion of which is adapted to sit on the part of a sink bottom surrounding the drain opening which extends vertically downward therethrough, the upper surface of said base providing a surface to support cutlery standing up within said cup7 said base having a number of axial and lateral openings therethrough for the escape of water from within the cup to the sink drain below and also the sink space surrounding said base to the sink drain, and means extending from the base of said hollow cup to removably secure said dish drain to said sink drain.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited 2,749,999 6/ 1956 Schmid 285-404 X UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,857,177 10/ 1958 Loetz 285--266 X 1,596,893 8/1926 Schifter 4 287 3,027,569 4/1962 LamZ et 31- 4--287 1,938,302 12/1933 Snyder 134-186 r, 2,632,568 3/1953 Abt 21l 41 ,y LAVERNE D. GEIGER, P/lmary Examiner.

2,739,715 3/ 1956 Planeta 21141 B. E. KILE, Assslant Examiner. 

1. A DISH DRAIN FOR A SINK COMPRISING A HOLLOW FRUSTOCONICAL CUP, WITH LARGER DIAMETER OPEN AND UPWARDLY, A SMALLER DIAMETER BASE CLOSURE PROVIDING AN INNER, UPPER SURFACE TO SUPPORT CUTLERY TO STAND UP WITHIN SAID CUP, AND ALSO PROVIDING DRAIN OPENING MEANS FOR THE ESCAPE OF DRAIN WATER FOM WITHIN SAID CUP, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CLOSURE WHEREBY SAID CUP MAY BE ADJUSTABLY POSITIONED IN SINK DRAINS OF VARIOUS OPENING DIMENSIONS, SAID SMALLER DIAMETER BASE CLOSURE BEARING SUCH DIMENSIONAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID SINK THAT CONVENTIONAL DISHWARE MAY EXTEND ANGULARLY FROM LOWERMOST CUP CONTACT TO SINK CONTACT THEREABOVE. 